GROW UP
by static-disturbed
Summary: SEQUEL to Lonley No More. AU BA CHAPTER 3 UP NOW! Read, read, read
1. Default Chapter

Title: Lonely No More 2- Grow Up  
  
Author: Static-Disturbed  
  
Summary: Yes kiddies I'm back with more of Angel, Buffy and Williams's adventures in my little demented world. I told you there would be a sequel. Well schools back in session and its senior year. You know what that means, all kinds of good stuff, identity crisis, relationship troubles, all that good crap. Also this story will focus a bit more on problems of other characters (Xander and Faith and Crystal being some of the main ones) and hopefully won't suck. I mean...I've seen Speed 2...sequels are usually problematic. So hopefully I will do Lonely No More justice. And my other stories will be updated...eventually. Song is 'Grow Up' by Simple Plan. Buy their C.D. I feel the need to plug the band shamelessly if I'm gonna use their lyrics. Buy Simple Plan's C.D 'No Pads', No Helmet's...Just Balls'. LOL, I love that title.  
  
Disclaimer: Like the last story I do not own any of the characters you have seen previously seen on BTVS or ANGEL. I own Angel's siblings, Buffy's sibling, and uhh all the other characters you never saw on the show. Song is owned by SIMPLE PLAN. Buy their C.D. I don't think anyone wants this story but if you wanna put it somewhere just write it in ur review.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------  
  
This is who I am  
  
And this what I like  
  
GC, Sum and Blink and Mxpx rocking my room  
  
If you're looking for me  
  
I'll be at the show  
  
I could never find a better place to go  
  
---------------------------------------------------  
  
The battered car pulled up to the curb of Sunnydale High with a cloud of thick, gray smoke trailing behind. Inside three very un-anxious teenagers stared up at the building through tired eyes with a mixture of dread, disgust and sadness.  
  
"I don't wanna do it", Angel said finally, scratching his head through newly died blue hair.  
  
"Don't got much of a choice", William declared cutting the engine of the car. Over the summer William, or Spike as more people were calling him these days, hadn't changed much about himself. Just like he had decided the last day of school he had spent the summer sleeping, eating, hanging with his girlfriend and of course seeing some shows. That's how they all had. Of course Buffy had spent a week in L.A with her grandmother. Otherwise the three of them had spent most of the summer together. A few trips to L.A to see some bands play, many trips to the mall where they, like any self- respecting punk teenagers would, caused a bit of mishap and dismay and of course lounging in each others houses contemplating their extremely dull lives in Sunnydale. But it had been the best summer of their lives. Buffy and Angel were so in love it was enough to make passer by's sick and William and Drusilla were still in the beginning phases of a very serious relationship.  
  
----------------------------------------------  
  
Until the day I die I promise I wont change  
  
So u better give up  
  
I don't wanna be told to grow up  
  
And I don't wanna change  
  
I just wanna have fun  
  
I wanna be told to grow up  
  
And I don't wanna change  
  
So u better give up  
  
Cause I'm not gonna change  
  
I don't wanna grow up  
  
-------------------------------------------------  
  
Without any other choice the three climbed from the car not really looking forward to the taunting and staring that came with being different in a small town like Sunnydale. Buffy held Angel's hand tightly in hers. She really didn't want to go back to school. Things had been so much simpler without certain people around constantly judging them and ridiculing them. Buffy, like Spike, hadn't really changed much over the summer. Her hair was shorter but other than that she was still the same old Buffy. She wore black cargo capri pants and a t-shirt advertising Oz's band 'The Dingoes Ate My Baby'. The only major change in her life over the summer was the fact that her mother and Giles had gotten engaged and the wedding was to take place in a few weeks. She and Crystal would be brides' maids.  
  
The spikes in Angel's hair were now blue but beside that fact he looked just like he always did dressed in baggy black pants and a 'Batman' t-shirt. Over the summer he had grown closer to his brother and sister who had suddenly begun to get along. His physical appearance wasn't much different but mentally Angel had changed drastically. He had a new outlook on life and while he still got depressed at times, had learned much more to appreciate his life, especially with Buffy in it.  
  
"If it isn't the freaks.... I really thought you would have dropped out by now", came a familiarly irritating voice. Cordelia Chase grinned widely through newly bleached teeth at every passing male. At least ones with a good place on the social ladder. Her hair was blonde, her eyes were blue and her skin was tan. Angel could've gagged. Hair dye, contacts and a few months poolside at the 'country club' had turned Cordelia Chase into a real life Barbie doll. And like the t-shirt said 'Barbie is a slut'.  
  
"Look its Los Angeles Barbie...you know the one with the fake boobs, and fake hair and fake eyes...." William said loudly causing a few giggles to erupt in the masses of students that were quickly silenced by Cordelia's icy glare. Things would never change. Cordelia would always be trying to put people down. It made Buffy sad. Once inside they realized all of the seniors were being ushered to the auditorium by school staff. An assembly already? Angel groaned. Things already sucked.  
  
---------------------------------  
  
I like to stay up late  
  
Spend hours on the phone  
  
Hanging' out with all my friends  
  
And never being at home  
  
I'm impolite and I make fun of everyone  
  
I'm immature but I'll stay this way forever  
  
-----------------------------------------------  
  
"As you know...you are seniors this year. It is your job to set a good example for the freshman, to behave like civilized adults, and....not to fail because I don't think I can take having any of you for another year", Principal Snyder exclaimed in his usual bitter way. Angel leaned over to Buffy  
  
"He's even more bald.... pretty soon he's going to be blinding people with the glare from his head" he whispered. Buffy covered her mouth in an attempt to hide the giggles.  
  
"Mr. Donnelly, Ms. Summers do you slackers have something profound to share with the rest of us?"  
  
"No sir", Angel muttered with a grin. Snyder shot daggers at them  
  
"This is the year you must decide what you are going to do with the rest of your lives.... when you must stop acting like children and become adults, when your life will become one large hell of rejection and bills and children and ex-wives and dead end jobs where you get no respect", while Snyder went on and on about the downfalls of adulthood most of the senior class sat frozen in fear trying to figure out what in the hell they were going to do not to end up like their principal. But in the back row of the auditorium Buffy, Angel and William contemplated what Snyder would like with a mohawk.  
  
--------------------------------------------  
  
Until the day I die I promise I wont change  
  
So u better give up  
  
I don't wanna be told to grow up  
  
And I don't wanna change  
  
I just wanna have fun  
  
I don't wanna be told to grow up  
  
And I don't wanna change  
  
So u better give up  
  
Cause I'm not gonna change  
  
I don't wanna grow up  
  
------------------------------------------------  
  
AN- Well that's chapter 1. What do you think? Give me feedback and tell me if it sucks, give me suggestions just Review please. And this is basically reintroducing the characters and stuff. The story will have a real plot soon. 


	2. Future

Chapter 2-  
  
Summary: Yes it has been a very long time since I posted the first chapter of this story and I apologize, I've had a pretty hellish life the past months or so what with starting high school plus a few other things. But anyway I'm back with the next chapter to the sequel to Lonely No More. Anyway, I have so many ideas for this story but am having trouble organizing them and making it seem good but I'm working on it. Forgive me. This chapter is pretty short but it's kinda the set up for everything that is going to be happening. Well I hope people like it. Thank you to everyone who has continued to support me and give feedback even when I wasn't updating.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters from BTVS or Angel. I own the original characters. Don't sue me unless you want my can tab collection. -------  
  
William let the door slam behind him with a loud thud. He stepped out into the hallway and started towards the lunchroom with an angry scowl on his face. Keeping his eyes focused on his scuffed black army boots he ignored those around him. Not many people at Sunnydale High understood his situation. Most of them had had their future planned out since they were infants. They knew exactly what college they would go to or what company they would work for. Their parents had been saving a college fund since they were little. Unlike him they knew exactly what they were going to do with the rest of their lives. He stormed past tables of people who had never been anything but faces to him and slid onto a bench across from the only person who had any idea what he was going through. Angel wasn't exactly looking exactly chipper either.  
  
"Let me guess" Angel started, "You just came from The Swabie's office?" Spike nodded and grabbed a few french fries from his friends tray. Mr. Swabie was the college counselor at SHS and made and always made a point of lecturing kids labeled as 'underachievers' by their teachers. Angel shook his head. "I was there earlier. You believe that guy actually started picking at my clothes. He said that if I continued to dress this way I'll never get past the door of a business place let alone get a job interview" Will sighed. People were always telling them things like that and he hated it. He hated the fact that regardless of his personality, he was going to be judged on the way he dressed no matter what. But he wouldn't change who he was for anything. The way he dressed represented who he was and he didn't want to work somewhere that he wouldn't be able to be himself.  
  
"What about Buffy?" Will asked. Angel sighed  
  
"You've seen her grades, she's got a lot of choices. Her mom's got some money saved up too...I don't know what her plans are" Angel said quietly. William could hear the fear in his friend's voice. Fear that Buffy was going to move on and leave him behind, that she would go away to some college and never look back. Will shook his head though. Buffy would never do that. She needed Angel as much as he needed her. They were like two pieces of a puzzle. Both of them had been missing something until they'd met one another. He wished for that kind of thing with Drusilla. He loved her and she loved him that was for sure. But it wasn't the kind of love Angel and Buffy shared. Drusilla would never hesitate to go to college and leave him behind if she was given the opportunity or any other opportunity that would help her. That's just the way she was, the way she had been brought up had long ago damaged her ability to love anything that much. Part of the reason Drusilla acted like she did was because she had been abused at a very young age for a very long time.  
  
"Don't worry about it Angel. Everything will work out" Will offered, not even sure himself if he actually thought that or if he was just trying to comfort himself and Angel.  
  
Later that night, at The Rat's Nest, Angel and William were nowhere closer to knowing what they wanted to do when they graduated. But finding a solution to that problem was abandoned for the night. The Dingoes were playing and all they wanted to do, like every other kid there, was rock out. Buffy watched Angel disappear into the masses of kids gathered by the stage and stood up to go to the bathroom leaving Drusilla alone at the table. The girl was nice, and Will really liked her, but she was still creepy. Always muttering about stars and animals. The thundering music died down as she closed the graffiti covered door to the girl's bathroom behind her. Walking over to the small square mirror hanging above one of the two sinks, she examined herself. She had pulled her blonde hair up in a loose bun with some strands hanging around her face and wore a small bit of makeup. She liked herself better like this, she still looked cute but it didn't take her two hours just to put on makeup either. Since she had met Angel her style had changed a bit, but that didn't mean she was trying to be someone she wasn't. Yea now she owned a few band t-shirts but she wasn't walking around trying to play off that she was incredibly hardcore or something. And people respected that, and she respected herself, which a few years ago she would not have been able to claim.  
  
Suddenly Buffy was aware of a sound besides the dull noise of the Dingoes outside. There were just three stalls in the small bathroom and the sound was coming from the last one. It was obviously someone crying softly. Buffy decided she should let whoever it was know she was in there. So once again she opened the door to the bathroom, this time closing it loudly so whoever was there would realize she was there also. She felt wrong listening to them cry when they most likely thought they were alone. The crying stopped quickly and the sound of the toilet flushing was followed by the door opening. Buffy looked to the mirror and continued to fix her hair.  
  
"Hey B", she was more than surprised to see Faith exit the stall looking like nothing was wrong. Faith? Crying alone in a bathroom? Faith was a tough girl, she was Buffy's friend, but Buffy had seen how she handled people she didn't like. Buffy had never pictured her as a crier.  
  
"Hey Faith" she mumbled as the brunette checked her own hair. Decked out in tight leather pants, a spilt sleeve black shirt and a spiked dog collar Faith definitely didn't look like a crier. But there was a lot about Faith that surprised people. Even though she could often be found flirting with every guy she met, Faith never took it further than that. She was completely devoted to Xander, her longtime boyfriend who she lived with. Faith and Xander weren't exactly the picture perfect image of America's youth. Both of them were 18 and neither had graduated high school although Xander often talked about getting his GED. Both worked a number of small jobs, but Xander had an ok job at his father's hardware store, which was their main source of income. But Faith, inside, was a good girl. School had bored her because she was extremely intelligent and had a lot of radical idea's that didn't agree with the conservative atmosphere in Sunnydale. But her love was martial arts. Faith was a black belt in a bunch of different types of martial arts that Buffy knew nothing about. That was what she liked spending her time doing.  
  
"Are you okay Faith I mean is everything going ok... with Xander..." Buffy couldn't finish her question. Faith's head snapped around and she gave the little blonde a death look.  
  
"Everything's fine" she insisted coldly and walked out leaving one very confused Buffy behind.  
  
-- AN: Well there you go. Chapter 2. It's been forever but hopefully I'll keep the updates more frequent from now on. Tell me if u like this or don't. It's kinda confusing right now but things will get clearer. 


	3. How The Mighty Have Fallen

Summary: Cordelia Chase looses everything and Angel and crew feel bad for her. I don't know how to summarize it just read it. Song is 'RICH GIRL', originally by Hall & Oates, Covered by Me First and The Gimme Gimmes. Ahhh this chapter sucks!!! But I just wanted to update because I haven't had a computer like all summer until about two weeks ago and I wanted to update so I'm sorry if its sucky and choppy and has a lot of grammar mistakes. It's been a while. THNXS to everyone who left reviews during my absence.

You're a rich girl and you're goin' too far  
Cause you know it don't matter any way  
You can rely on the old man's money  
You can rely on the old man's money  
  
It's a bitch, girl but it's goin' too far  
Cause you know it don't matter any way  
Say money, money won't get you too far  
Won't you far  
  
Don't you know, whohoh, that it's wrong, yea  
To take what he's givin' you  
So far gone, ohh, you can get along  
You can try to be strong, but you'll never be strong, yeah  
  
You're a rich girl and you're goin' too far  
Cause you know it don't matter any way  
You can rely on the old man's money  
You can rely on the old man's money  
  
High and dry, out of the rain  
It's so easy to hurt others when you can't feel pain  
Don't you know that a love can't grow  
Cause it's too much to give cause you'd rather live for the thrill of it all  
  
You're a rich girl and you're goin' too far  
Cause you know it don't matter any way  
You can rely on the old man's money  
You can rely on the old man's money  
  
Say money, money won't get you too far  
Say money, money won't get you too far  
Won't get you far  
  
Ah, yeah

"What does the history book look like?" Angel questioned, staring into the sea of mostly unused books in his locker. His grades had never been great, not because he was stupid. Because teachers were too stupid for him to even bother listening to. Actually, that was unfair; some of his teachers were cool. But for the most part, they were just ignorant ass-holes who liked bringing kids down. He hated teachers. Buffy reached into his locker and pulled out a thick blue textbook. After shoving the massive book in his bag they began walking towards Buffy's advisory room. Angel bit his lip. He wanted to ask her about college. Where she was going to go. But for some reason he was scared. Probably just scared of what her answer might be. What if she wanted to go away for college? He wouldn't blame her. If he could he'd want to get as far away from Sunnydale as he could. But then he would be all alone. It sounded pitiful but life without Buffy wasn't a life he wanted to think about.

"Buffy..." he started to ask but was cut off by Will who was calling for them from the other end of the hallway. He caught up with them and held up a finger while he caught his breathe.

"You'll never believe what I'm about to say," he told them with a wicked smile. Angel cocked an eyebrow.

"This isn't some more of your 'heard it through the grapevine gossip' is it?" Angel asked.

"No...sort of...but this is true. I seen it with my own eyes. Mr. Chase got arrested last night, for tax evasion or some shit like that. All I know is they repossessed everything, the mansion, the cars, the clothes, Cordelia Chase is poorer then me right now!" he exclaimed. Angel and Buffy looked at each other.

"Are you serious?"

"After school come with me, you can see for yourselves."

After school they drove old Drusilla into the mansion laden rich part of Sunnydale. They slowed down where the Chase mansion was and all three stared out the window. The lawn was covered in boxes and clothes. Cordelia, her little sister, and mother were all sorting through what was left of their belongings and packing it into the boxes. The front door of the house had a big orange flyer on it. Buffy watched and even though she didn't want to, she felt bad for Cordelia. She knew what it was like to have your life fall apart. Angel too was feeling bad for even being there. Like a spectator at some kind of sick animal fight. Before they could leave though Cordelia saw them watching. She stormed over to the car and knocked on the window. It was now they could see the dry tear marks on her cheeks and the bags under her eyes. Angel rolled down the window.

"Look, I get that you want to come here and see me get mine, I get it! Karma's finally getting to the bitch, ok I get it", she was crying and yelling, "But my father is in prison and I'm fucking homeless right now so don't come here and watch me and my sister and mom like some kind of Goddamn spectacle, If you wanna torture me, do it and school but leave them alone", and then she was gone. They watched her collapse next to her mother. Mrs. Chase made no move to comfort her daughter, just stared with a broken expression on her face as her two daughters hugged one another and cried. Buffy felt sick and ashamed as they drove away and Spike muttered

"Oh how the mighty have fallen".

Everyone knew about Cordelia by the next morning at school. In history class a few kids asked the teacher if 'the fall of Cordelia Chase, former dictator of Sunnydale, would be in the newest edition of the textbook'. Angel couldn't even laugh. He wanted to be happy her life was ruined. He wanted to be glad that now she would know what his life was like. But he couldn't. Because he knew how she felt. He knew what it was like to watch your entire world collapse and not be able to stop it. He felt sorry for the poor girl who had to pack up what little clothes she was aloud to keep and leave her childhood behind. Why did he have to have a conscience?

The worst came at lunch. Cordelia was still able to make herself look like she had money, but her old friends were suddenly acting like they had never met her before. There was no room at their table for her, or at anyone else's. Besides her old friends everyone had always hated Cordelia, no one would ever let her sit with them. Buffy, Spike and Angel all knew what they had to do.

"I can't believe I'm going to do this", Buffy announced but got up and walked to the middle of the lunchroom, everyone was staring at Cordelia. Buffy stood in front of her. "You can sit with us Cordelia". Cordelia glanced over at William and Angel and Buffy knew she was biting her tongue so not to say something horrible about them.

"I can't sit there," she hissed. Buffy looked around

"I really don't think your reputation can get any worse right now". Cordelia got tears in her eyes. Buffy sighed, she couldn't let Cordelia cry in front of everyone, and she couldn't let Cordelia fuel their fire.

"Cordelia stop it. Don't cry in front of them; don't let them see you break because they'll tear you apart. Look, we were sorta friends once. We can be friends again if you can change. I know you aren't some meek little poor girl who is gonna let these kids make fun of you. Just come and sit with us". Cordelia held her tears back and followed Buffy over to the table.

The week passed slowly. Angel tiptoed around the subject of college, afraid that Buffy had plans to leave after graduation. Finally, in advisory on Friday he asked her.

"I don't know", she answered. He was confused, "I don't know where I want to go, it's pretty nerve-wracking actually" she explained. "My mom wants me to apply like.... everywhere, which is ok I guess, but I really was thinking of maybe just going to U.C.Sunnydale. Or if I can get into UCLA, I mean I probably won't but...". Listening to Buffy talk about how unsure she was was strange. When it came to school Buffy was usually very sure of everything.

"I'm sure you could get into wherever you want to go" he encouraged. She sighed

"It would help if I knew like...what I wanted to do with myself." Yet again Angel was shocked. She had no idea what she wanted to be, much like himself. He started to laugh

"I'm glad you find my insecurities funny"

"No, its just...all week I've had these crazy scenarios running through my head like you telling me you want to go to school in Australia, then you leaving me and me getting a long-distance phone call in the middle of the night after I get done work at like The Double-meat palace, where you tell me maybe we should take a break cause he met this surfer named Juan who was really hot..." he was babbling and they both started laughing. Buffy leaned over and kissed him.

"You're too cute for your own good, and don't worry no matter where I go I'll still love you.....Juan?", they both started to crack up. Suddenly though everyone rushed into the hallway because a creaming match had started.

"God Cordy, don't be jealous just because our dads aren't criminals", Harmony, Cordelias former lackey and now replacement declared. Buffy thought Cordelia was going to cry. But instead she got fire in her eyes. She held her head up high and marched right into Harmony's personal bubble.

"Look, I will never be jealous of you Harm, your fat ass might be comfortable sitting on my thrown right now, but your still just bad-roots Harmony who kissed my butt for the past six years cause she was too afraid to actually have a thought of her own. You're just a bitch, but I'm the bitch". Harmony looked like someone had just slapped her across the face. Buffy and Angel cracked up and Cordelia pushed through the crowd of people who were staring at her and clapping and made her way over to them.

"God that felt good" she announced. Buffy smiled

"Very impressive". Cordelia smiled at them and then got a serious look on her face

"Look, I still think you guys are weird and just cause I'm hanging out with you now I'm not gonna start like.... wearing spikes and stuff.... but you guys are nice and I'm sorry about the way I was...". Buffy stopped her

"Look when I was making my transformation from Ice Queen to.... human being a certain someone told me that everyone deserved a second chance", she glanced at Angel and smiled. "So don't worry about it". Will walked up at that moment put an arm around Cordelia's shoulder.

"Ya done good kid" he told her. She rolled her eyes and removed his arm.

"Don't touch me freak"

"Gladly snob", he returned. They both looked at one another and cracked up laughing.


End file.
